Tag Archive: helicopters

The Philippine Air Force grounded its UH-1H (Huey) helicopters after one unit got involved in an accident in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday.

The Huey unit carrying the number 518 “rolled over” while it was about to take off from Camp Evangelista, headquarters of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, around 3:30 p.m. Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Enrico Canaya said.

The helicopter has two pilots and two crew members at the time, but no one was reported injured, Canaya said in a text message.

He said the helicopter was damaged, though the extent is not immediately known.

The helicopter was supposed to return to the Air Force’s 10th Tactical Operations Group base at the Lumbia Airport after transporting 4th ID commander Major General Oscar Lactao from the 402nd Brigade headquarters in Butuan City, said Major Ezra Balagtey, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command public affairs officer.

Down. The Sokol military helicopter that crashed in Marawi City (photo from the Army 1st ID)

Two people were injured when one of the military’s recently-acquired helicopters crashed in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The Air Force helicopter crashed around 2:30 p.m. shortly after taking off from the Army’s 103rd Brigade headquarters, Chief Superintendent Noel delos Reyes, director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police, said by phone.

“Nagpunta sila (secretaries) to look into the power situation in Lanao del Sur, they met with local government officials. Paalis na sila, papunta na sa Cagayan de Oro,” Delos Reyes said.

(photo from Army 1st ID)

The secretaries’ helicopters, which took off earlier, went back to check on the crashed chopper, he said.

The aircraft that crashed bears the body number 921 and is a Sokol helicopter, Kuinisala said, adding that the chopper’s propeller was damaged.

Gazmin’s office confirmed in a statement that the ill-fated helicopter was one of the recently-acquired W3A Sokol choppers.

“An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of this incident,” according to the statement.

One of the Sokol helicopters being delivered in November 2012 (Air Force photo)

The government bought eight brand new Sokol helicopters from the joint venture of Polish manufacturer PZL-Swidnik and British-Italian firm AugustaWestland for P2.8 billion.

The units arrived in batches in February 2012, November 2012, and February 2013.

The helicopters were supposed be used for combat support operations but were eventually assigned to the Air Force’s 505th Search and Rescue Group, after its side door and gun mount were found “unfit” for the military’s tactics.

They are now being used to conduct rescue operations in times of calamities and transporting VIPs.

The incident in Marawi was not the first time for the Sokol units to encounter problems.

In July 2013, another Sokol helicopter (tail no. 310925) was stuck for five days in Camp Aguinaldo after failing to take off due to an undisclosed mechanical problem.

That helicopter was supposed to escort the group of Gazmin to an Air Force event in Pampanga. (John Roson)

A mayor running for provincial board member of Northern Samar, two of his running mates, and a civilian pilot were injured when the helicopter they were riding crash-landed at the shore of Laoang town Tuesday morning, police said.

Andre Abalon, incumbent mayor of San Roque, suffered “severe head injuries” and was brought to the Catarman Doctors’ Hospital, PO3 Michael Irinco, desk officer at the Laoang Police Station, said in a phone interview.

Dioscoro Asinas and Panoy Pinca, Abalon’s fellow candidates for provincial board member in Northern Samar’s second district, were brought to the same hospital along with pilot Capt. Dino Garcia due “minor injuries,” Irinco said.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. while the helicopter piloted by Garcia was flying over in Brgy. Rawis.

The Department of National Defense plans to spend some P1.264 billion in acquiring “refurbished” UH-1 helicopters for the Air Force.

The sum will be used to acquire 13 units of UH-1 and eight units of upgraded UH-1 with the corresponding “integrated logistics support” package, the DND said in a bid announcement on its website.

“The guiding principles for this project shall be based on affordability and sustainability while conforming to the requirements of our Air Force in furtherance of accomplishing its mission,” defense undersecretary for finance, munitions, installations, and materiel Fernando Manalo said in the announcement.

Manalo, who chairs the special bids and awards committee overseeing the project, said they will hold a pre-bid conference on Nov. 6.

Companies interested in the project may submit their bids until Nov. 20 and are expected to deliver the goods 45 days from opening the contract, he said.

The UH-1, developed by Bell helicopter in 1952, first flew in 1956 and was mass-produced in the 60s.

While many of the 16,000 units rolled out saw action in the Vietnam War and are now on display, some are still being used in operations around the world. (John Roson)

The department has also proposed to the President to consider acquiring 12 T-50 lead-in fighter jets from South Korea, Fernando Manalo, defense undersecretary for finance, munitions, installations and materiel, said in the same press forum.

“The T-50 is the most advantageous considering the situation in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Once the project is completed, the country will immediately get two jets to train pilots, Gazmin said.

The National Police has kicked out 10 officials, including two one-star generals, and imposed sanctions on other active and retired officials for involvement in the anomalous purchase of helicopters in 2009.

Six active personnel, on the other hand, were imposed with a six-month suspension starting June 15. They are Senior Supt. Joel Crisostomo Garcia, SPO3 Jorge Gabiana, PO3 Dionisio Jimenez, and NUPs Emilia Aliling, Edwin Chavarria, and Edwin Maranan.

The PNP bought three “brand new” helicopters in Sept. 2009 for P104.9 million, but an expose by Sen. Panfilo Lacson and a resulting probe showed that two of were already used by several individuals, including some members of the family of then President Gloria Arroyo. (John Roson)

The government plans to buy two more patrol ships like the one President Benigno Aquino III welcomed Tuesday.

“We are seriously discussing, proposing based on our absorptive capacity, maybe another two more,” Navy chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama said after the arrival ceremony for the BRP Gregorio del Pilar.

The Gregorio Del Pilar’s presence “sends a big message” to other countries who are entering territories in the West Philippine Sea, Pama told reporters. “It shows we mean what we say and we say what we mean,” he said.

The 45-year-old ship, acquired from the US Coast Guard, will patrol oil and gas projects off Palawan, Aquino said in welcoming the vessel at the Manila South Harbor.

The President vowed to push for the acquisition of more equipment for the military and police during his administration. “Hindi tayo titigil sa mga barko, hindi tayo makokontento sa mga helicopter,” he said.

The Navy is still studying whether it is practical to buy a submarine, he said.

“Pinagaaralan natin dahil masalimuot talaga, we don’t want to commit a mistake by jumping into something, we don’t want to buy something which eventually we cannot chew and swallow,” Pama said. (John Roson)